I may have to try that if my GLE gets delayed again. It has been delayed for about 2 months now.

Do you know if they only deal with service complaints?

 

Got word late yesterday that they are ordering and replacing coils.
Wish me luck.

 

You mean wish THEM luck

 

No they also deal with sales complaints. I used them for a sales delay complaint.

 

did they have a good explanation as to why they think this is the problem? Doesn't fit the problem description to me.

 

The other thing to consider is that your delays may be a good thing as long as they are still having quality issues. I would rather wait and get a good one.

 

Symptoms of a bad coil pack

Makes perfect sense and is what I suspected (issue with the electronic ignition). Engine get hots, there is a heat related issue in one of coil packs and it quits working -- meaning the cylinder it controls doesn't get any spark -- result is a rough running engine. I'm surprised the service department didn't catch it the first time...pretty basic issue.

 

I think the mechanics of today (at least at dealers) have largely lost the art of diagnosis. If the computer doesn’t tell them they don’t know what to do.

 

Sadly, I fear you are correct in this case.

 

I was told it had a misfire on two cylinders. The computer didn’t store anything but they found another way to check it supposedly.

 

Have you asked if they could monitor it by Mercedes Me? My shop used it to monitor some real time functions - new with MBUX, I believe. I had to go online and enable all Mercedes Me permissions. That was in Sept 2020.

Also, it used to be that it took a full 20 minutes for the Shop to do a service scan of the car. Have they done that, or is it still true?

 

When I called MB (manufacturer) on Friday, I did ask why they couldn’t not diagnose or pull some type of code remotely when the CEL was on, the lady didn’t know. She also told me, “well if there are not any codes or it’s currently not doing anything even our engineers cannot fix it.” So apparently the art of working on a vehicle is gone unless “the computer” tells them what to do. They (MBUSA) are supposed to call me today and I’m going to make sure an official complaint has been filed. The new car I purchased has now been in the service department more than my own garage.

Let’s talk coils for a second. I somewhat understand what they do (supplies a spark to the plugs), but how intense is it now replace one of these coil packs? Is this major work? Are they easy to get to? How concerned should I be here?

 

Coils are normal wear and tear items...however they normally last 100K miles or more. They replaced the distributor and sprak plug wires of yore.

 

In my first several weeks of ownership, the GL was in the dealers garage more than my own so I feel your frustration. They finally sorted things out and the car has mostly been a pleasure to own ever since.
Hang in there.

 

Many years ago Lexus did a recall on the ignition coils of their V8 engines. I had a Lexus GS460 which had the coils replaced as part of the recall. It was a fairly significant piece of work - took 2 days. We kept the car in the family for about 8 years and there was never an issue with the engine. Probably one of the most reliable cars we owned. So I would not worry.

 

I have a vague recollection that there was a shortage of coils that delayed the original 2020's.

 

I got a call back from MB yesterday. Very nice person but pretty much told me that since a problem was finally found there was nothing they could do until it was at least “fixed.” They did hint around to do something to make me happy for all this trouble but would not go into detail until the car is returned and made good or not fixed. They also pointed out that at first they found nothing wrong with the car. But when I told them it was on video they changed their thinking a little.

So here is the next question my wife and I are discussing:
Say the car does get fixed, correctly. Then shortly there after something changes in our family and we need to get rid of the car for some reason relatively soon, 1-2 years. I put it up for sale and a prospective buyer looks at it and wants a Carfax or Autocheck. Someone pulls the report and it shows engine work or whatever it might say at 300 miles. What would you think about that car if you were looking at it and it was only 1 year old? In other words, “diminished value?”

For the record this is why I’m not a big fan of carfax. I’ve seen several cars they got wrong, good and bad, and too much trust is put into it when they don’t allow explanations. Originally I was not worried about the reports but I have since found out my dealership does report to them.
Thanks

 

I am a former Car dealer. Car fax is a tool to sell cars and often can miss items that were done on the car. Most dealers report, smaller shops do not. The main purpose is to identify collisions and former daily rental, flood, theft or buyback that would result in a diminished value. As a used car buyer I would also look for a long list of repairs before worrying about the car as being problematic. A group of repairs, especially done early under warranty would not be a concern.

 

I don't think it would matter. It certainly wouldn't bother me. When I have sold cars, I usually refer the buyer to my service advisor who usually does a good job of explaining how well the car has been maintained and emailing over the full service history. At the end of the day if the issue was fixed a year ago and has not recurred then it is unlikely to recur again. Plus if you sell at 1-2 years it will still have 2-3 years left on the factory warranty so the buyer has that protection

 

My BMW 535 had a long list of repairs, mostly due to injector issues that BMW was having. The buyer was very knowledgeable and wanted that car. He also was able to dscern that a certain point those repairs stopped so he was not concerned.

 

@BACnMercedes Glad there seems to be some progress. How successful for consumers are diminished value claims? I see this posted on car enthusiast forums like this one and others. I don't see posters celebrating success in resolving such a claim.

If I saw early age/mileage engine repairs on a carfax, I would walk, provided other alternatives existed. If a used car buyer uses a wide (nation-wide) search window, chances are good another nearly equivalent vehicle will be found. If your car is a unique build, and has full service history and is in good cosmetic condition, the carfax might be overlooked by some buyers. For me, it would be a red flag, although not a 100% deal breaker if a near alternative existed.

 

As with anything in life it depends. The fact your vehicle had warranty repairs, had to have coils replaced when new wouldn't bother me for a second...it's not a big deal...s**t happens. If the vehicle was a buy back/lemon law vehicle, and had an extensive stay in the shop for multiple issues before it was bought back...that would scare me off. I purchased a new 2001 Toyota 4 Runner, well 20 year ago now. The first time I towed my boat with it (less the 4000 miles on the odometer) the check engine light came on. Took it to the dealer and was told it had a bad sensor on the crank shaft. The engine had to be pulled, and the crankshaft replaced on my brand new Toyota. I was not happy about it at the time. That 4Runner is now a "family heirloom". I sold it to my dad in 2005, with 60,000 miles on it. He drove it until he retired in 2013, and sold it to my sister with over 170,000 miles on it. Her two sons learned to drive on it, and it now has over 250,000 miles and is still going.

 

@TexAg91 Great post. Sorry to go OT but I share enthusiasm for the Gen4 4Runner. We had a 2005 SR5 that we ran for 205k miles and served our family well. I sold it in 2019 for a handsome price for a 14 year old vehicle with 200k+ miles.

 

To the OP, I hope it all works out.
Makris, Not an apologist, just curious, if your E was falling apart after a few years, why the GLE?

 

Sorry for the rambling in advance.

It's no problem. My E class (2017 E300) had issues with the steering wheel going up and down (went to different dealerships 4 times for this issue), the MB Tex on my drivers seat was cracking, falling apart and fading, and I had some issues with the infotainment system. Although my E class was falling apart/had issues (it was a re-design inside and out) I loved everything else about the car. My E class was also involved in a flood and I had the engine, starter motor and all the wiring replaced about 1.5 years before the lease was up but I had most of the issues before the flood. I've also had a lot of experience with Mercedes since everyone in my family has one and I've grown to love the brand even with its faults.

Prior to my E class I had a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and I absolutely loved it! I felt like it could tackle anything and everything that was thrown at/in it. The Jeep was based off the ML/GLE platform so it felt like a tank. I had that car during undergrad and law school, just so y'all have an idea of what it went through (and the Jeep went through a lot). I've always loved SUVs since I can remember, but when I was shopping around for my previous car, I checked out the current GLE at the time (2016/2017 model year) and I was not thrilled with it and it felt like my Jeep (and I wanted something different at the time) and the E class was just re-designed inside and out for 2017 and I liked everything about it. I drove it about 4-5 times before pulling the trigger and it was great.

However, when the 2020 GLE was unveiled back in 2019 I knew I had to have it. Everything I've read about it I loved and the styling I feel like it has some design features from the Lamborghini Urus (thin headlights and tail lights, big air dam in the front and aggressive styling with the AMG/Night packages). I've test driven the 2020 and 2021s about 5-6 times at different dealerships and I had a 2020 GLE 350 4matic as a loaner and it is a very smooth and comfortable car and it does not have a lot of road noise (unlike my E class) and everything seems to work well in it. I get that re-design model years will have bugs (like my 2017 E class), but I feel like since I am getting a 2021 that they worked out some of the bugs from the 2020 model year. I also feel like the quality of the GLE is closer to the GLS/S class and the quality of the E class is closer to the C/GLC class.

I am however considering something different. I ordered my GLE 350 back in early October 2020 and was told it would be done and at the dealership with a nice bow on it in mid December 2020. Since then, it has been delayed 3-4 times with the current ETA being in about 10-14 days for mid February. If it keeps getting delayed, I may have to cut my losses and go with something else when the current lease I'm in expires next month. I've been checking out the Genesis GV80 which seems to be really nice, but I have not driven it yet. But I would prefer to go with the GLE because the heart wants what the heart wants, and my heart really wants the GLE.